Mortlock Back to Lead Wallabies
Stirling Mortlock has been cleared to lead Australia in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against defending champions England.
Mortlock missed Australia's last two pool games after dislocating his shoulder but has been recalled for the rematch between the 2003 finalists.
Mortlock's return was expected but still came as welcome relief to a Wallaby squad badly hit with injuries.
Wing Mark Gerrard and backrower Davis Lyons have already been ruled out of the tournament while flyhalf Stephen Larkham and utility back Scott Staniforth are both unavailable for Saturday's quarter-final. "The shoulder is great. I could have played last week but I wanted that extra week of rehab," Mortlock told a news conference.
"There's a lot of hype about this match and I'm just excited to be playing again."
As expected, Australia coach John Connolly has stuck with virtually the same team that he used in the crunch pool game against Wales, with only one change.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, who missed that game with a toe injury, comes into the side on the left wing for the lighter-framed Drew Mitchell, who drops back to the reserves despite being the tournament's leading tryscorer with seven touchdowns.
The versatile Julian Huxley is the only other back on a replacements' bench stacked with forwards, highlighting Australia's intentions to match England's massive pack.
"Most of our backs are fairly multi-skilled so we're confident about our lineup," Connolly said.
"We've gone down that path in most of our games this year".
Superior Form
The Australians are slight favourites to win the match because of their superior form over the past year but Connolly remains wary of England's forwards and the deadly kicking of their flyhalf Jonny Wlikinson.
The English have long been the masters of tight play and Connolly wants as many troops as possible to ensure his own backline gets a fair share of possession.
"England is a very dangerous team," Connolly said.
"Their set piece has been their cornerstone for many years and they have incredible speed out wide and a number 10 who steers them around exceptionally well.
"When you look at our results through the pool games you'd have to say we're pretty happy with where we're at.
"But we're very conscious that we have to improve considerably on that to go any further in the tournament."
Berrick Barnes has been given the job of replacing Larkham and marking Wilkinson. Connolly said he had complete faith in the 21-year-old, who was uncapped before the World Cup but has been a revelation.
"We've been fortunate because Berrick was probably one of the last players picked for the tournament," Connolly said.
"We thought he had the skills set and the mentality to be up to handle the pressure of the World Cup. We're quite confident with him."
Pumas try to keep concentration amid euphoria
The Pumamania that has gripped Argentines since the Pumas reached the World Cup quarter-finals could turn into their team's own worst enemy.
Argentina, who have shown great concentration and willpower in their pursuit of World Cup glory, are having to work harder than ever at keeping their feet on the ground as they prepare for Sunday's quarter-final against Scotland (1900 GMT).
"There are demands we make of ourselves that are manageable and there are many more demands coming from outside or from people who don't know much about rugby ," lock Patricio Albacete said on Wednesday.
"The other day someone was doing a radio interview and asking if we were already on a level with the All Blacks," he told reporters.
"Do you see how delirious people are getting?
"That's why we must keep our feet on the ground, not believe ourselves to be better than we are, know who we are and stay that way."
One of Argentina's main virtues has been the way players have kept a cool head, stuck to a game plan and not allowed the occasional setback in a match to unsettle them.
Their match preparation centres on talking things through as a squad and never believing themselves to be superior to any of their opponents.
"For me it's almost 80 percent (of the job)," the two-metres tall, 26-year-old Albacete said.
"We have to go (into the game) fully concentrated, very calm without giving much importance to what is being said around us, the press, what our relatives tell us about the people in Argentina."
Less Quiet
The Pumas' success at the tournament has gripped people in Argentina to the extent that rugby has pushed football, the national game, into second place.
Argentina have also been obliged by tournament organisers to move to a designated hotel for quarter-finalists that is in a busier part of Paris, albeit the affluent and beautiful Neuilly-sur-Seine, and is less quiet than their former suburban base.
"We have to keep to one side of what's happening, especially here at the hotel which is not as reserved as the other.
"The fact is we were comfortable, isolated, with no-one bothering us," Albacete said.
"If someone came to see you they had to ask permission first, you had to go and fetch them (from the door), we'd already got on good terms with the staff."
Albacete said Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were expected to reach the last four.
"They are very strong rugby nations, who are showing a high standard.
"The surprise is us in these quarter-finals. Some didn't even expect us to qualify, others thought surely not in first place, so even the French underestimated us.
"I'm not sure whether the standard of the (European teams) dropped or the others' grew.
"I think France still have a very good level. Maybe due to our own merits they couldn't develop their game in the opening match (won 17-12 by Argentina) or lacked confidence."
New Zealand to appeal against Lauaki ban
New Zealand will appeal against a two-week ban on Sione Lauaki which will keep the reserve number eight out of the World Cup quarter and semi-finals.
Lauaki was banned on Monday for a dangerous tackle in the final pool game against Romania last Saturday.
A meeting of the team management decided to appeal against the suspension and travel to Paris for a hearing which is expected to take place on Thursday.
Selector Brian Lochore, team lawyer Steve Cottrell and Lauaki will make the trip to France.
Lauaki could not be considered for selection in the 22 for Saturday's quarter-final against France at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but if the appeal is successful he will be available for the semi-final and finals in Paris.
Captain Richie McCaw, a member of the team who lost the 2003 semi-final to Australia, faced a predictable barrage at the media conference after the team to meet France was announced on Tuesday.
The All Blacks have not won the tournament since they were co-hosts at the first World Cup in 1987, although they have never failed to reach at least the semi-finals.
"We have to have faith in what we have done in the last couple of years. We have been getting better and better, and will hopefully be better on Saturday," McCaw said.
"The French are going to be desperate and we've got to be just as desperate, and passionate.
"We respect the skill they've got and their ability to use the ball. We always expect the unexpected, and when that happens you have to rely on your systems."
The All Blacks trained at their base near Cardiff on Wednesday and will have another session on Thursday afternoon.
Flyhalf Daniel Carter, who withdrew from the Romania match with a calf strain, was named in the starting XV and his fitness will be carefully monitored throughout the week.
Beauxis from Under-21 Glory to All Blacks Clash
Lionel Beauxis kicked all France's points in their 24-13 win over South Africa in the final of the under-21 World Cup in June 2006.
Little more than a year later, coach Bernard Laporte has decided he is mature enough to lead the French backline in their World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand on Saturday in Cardiff.
The packed conference room went silent on Wednesday when team manager Jo Maso uttered the words "Number 10: Lionel Beauxis".
Then came a burst of questions. "Why Beauxis? Why not (Frederic) Michalak? Why not (David) Skrela?"
"Because we need his kicking talent, because territorial advantage will be the key of the game," was Laporte's answer.
Apart from his under-21 title and the IRB's under-21 player of the year award which followed, Beauxis's credentials are meagre.
"I know some people will say I lack experience but I don't ask myself such questions. I just charge in and grab everything I can," he said on Wednesday.
The young man has already grabbed nine caps, the first four coming on as a replacement in the first four matches of the last Six Nations, for 12 minutes against Italy, 23 against Ireland, four against Wales and the whole second half against England.
'Bernardo'
Laporte handed him his first start in the title-clinching game against Scotland and again offered him the reins of the backline in a World Cup warm-up against Wales in August.
He was relegated to the stands for the World Cup opener against Argentina but the defeat and the loss of Skrela to injury saw him promoted to the bench against Namibia and Ireland and to the first XV against Georgia.
It was France's last pool game and Beauxis scored 24 points, five conversions, three penalties and a try.
"I thought I had played a good game but I didn't think I would make the first XV for the quarter-finals because there is a lot of competition at flyhalf. A berth on the bench would have been great, to get a start is enormous," he said.
It was probably the longest sentence in his short experience of France's interview rooms.
The other French players have nicknamed him "Bernardo" after Zorro's mute servant. They say it is not being mean because, though he could not speak, Bernardo was also pretending to be deaf to spy on Zorro's enemies.
Former France scrumhalf and captain Fabien Galthie has found another nickname for the flyhalf he recruited for Stade Francais last season.
"He is a snake," Galthie once said. "When he kicks the ball, it's as if he was stroking it with his hands. He is really a cool-blooded guy and when he becomes aware of his potential, he will be the best."
Springboks Enjoy Luck of the Draw, Says White
South Africa have powered their way into the World Cup quarter-finals but remain surprised at the way the tournament draw has favoured them, coach Jake White said.
England's decline made their pivotal Pool A match a 36-0 cakewalk while defeats for traditional rugby powers France and Wales have given their draw a wholly unexpected look.
The Springboks now face Fiji in a last eight clash in Marseille on Sunday.
"If you had told me a couple of years ago that our last three games could be Fiji, Argentina and the World Cup final, I think anyone in South African rugby would take it," White told reporters on Wednesday.
"We've never lost to Argentina or Fiji, so we'll stick to what we've done in the past."
The Springboks won their only meeting with Fiji, 43-18, in 1996 and should they triumph on Sunday they are likely to face the Pumas, who play Scotland in Paris the same day.
South Africa played their first test against Argentina in 1993 and have won all 11 meetings between the teams, most recently 34-23 in Buenos Aires two years ago.
Only one of hosts France, defending champions England and the Springboks's southern hemisphere rivals, Australia and New Zealand, will emerge from the other half of the draw to contest the final.
New Zealand are favourites to be that team and arguably face a run-in that would battle harden them for the final.
"We'll see how sharp they are and be able to judge them by their match against France," said White.
"If New Zealand have to play France then Australia of course it's going to take its toll more than having an easier run into the final.
"But one thing about New Zealand is that they have a bigger bench than other sides, but on the starting 15 it must have an impact."
Feeds